Friday at the Flicks (Surrounded Pigeon, Hungry Young Jackdaws)

Just made it for Friday - combination of a busy day and a sieve for a memory.

These two clips were taken automatically on Thursday morning while I was still in the land of nod.

A Wood Pigeon was becoming surrounded by the early morning invasion of Jackdaws which seem to happen every morning since the youngsters fledged.



A while later the Jackdaws had the food to them selves and the youngsters were as demanding as ever.



When I went out a short while ago to top up the seed feeders I was surprised to find a dead Goldfinch on the ground. Other than being deceased it appeared in perfect condition, its feather in full bright plumage and no noticeable marks to show it may been attacked. Quite a puzzle.

Discretion is the Better Part of Valour

When a larger Hedgehog arrives at your food dish it is definitely better to wait nearby until it has finished eating. This video is running about double speed.



Very little going on at the bird feeders during this hot weather except for the eraly morning invasion of Wood Pigeons, Jackdaws and their broods and Rooks.

It's a Weary Life Being a Dog

More Prickly Encounters + Giveaway of the Day

Giveaway of the Day has Aiseesoft Total Video Converter available for about another 17 hours at the time of writing. I have installed it (Windozy XP) and it looks a very useful bit of software. In fact I used it to brighten up the following video which was taken at 10.30 p.m. last night. Then the video was completed using Ulead Video Studio, ATVC can crop, cut, merge and save video files in many formats.

Another three way prickly encounter.





These are a few photos I took the other day when the Jackdaw was feeding its young in the garden.

A Prickle of Hedgehogs

I knew there were at least three Hedgehogs which regularly visit the garden at night but last night was the first time I had seen three together at the feeding area.

The way things turn out maybe I should have titled this:
Two is Company but Three is a Crowd.



That is not a lightning flash near the end but me trying to get a photograph from the kitchen window, not very successfully.



I did manage to get one of a Hedgehog having a drink.

Friday at the Flicks (Jackdaw Feeding Juvenile, Clouds)

Hot off the press, camcorder anyway, this morning is some video of an adult Jackdaw feeding one of its youngsters. I first spotted one juvenile by itself under the Birdy Bistro but an adult near the end of the garden spotted me and flew over to fetch the young one away to safety. Fortunately they stayed under the far feeders while I set up the camcorder.

It's a slow job when you have to find each seed and strip the husk off before you can give it to your offspring. Plenty of noisy Sparrows nearby!



I had rebuilt my electronic gizmo which fires the 350D at fixed, chosen intervals and set the camera up in the garden last Tuesday to give it its final test run. Fascinating on a hot afternoon the way each cloud bubbles up and disappears and the way winds blow them in different directions at various levels.

956 photos (one taken every 6 seconds)  make up this video clip which was automatically produced using VideoMach.



 Have a great weekend observing the natural world around you.

Who Likes a Jam Sandwich?

I enjoy a jam sandwich



So would I if I could get near it



Don't fly away, I'm hungry too